Chapter 6
His hands rested inside his pockets. Perfectly still. The dinner bell chimed in the distance. Moments later, the heavy security door thudded somewhere down the hall. Tessa appeared. She looked worse than before. Her skin was ashen, and a fine sheen of sweat coated her forehead despite the cool air. She leaned heavily against the wall as she walked, dragging her feet. She looked close to collapsing. Something flickered briefly inside Zo’s chest. Concern. Genuine concern. He crushed it immediately. Compassion was a luxury he could not afford. He was there for answers. Tessa reached her locker and opened it with trembling hands. She removed her apron, folded it neatly, and pulled on the thin coat. Then she reached into the bottom of the locker and withdrew the green canvas bag. It was already bulging. She zipped it closed, put it over her shoulder, and reached toward the exterior door.
Zo stepped out of the shadows. “Leaving early, Tessa?” His voice was quiet. A low baritone that required no volume to carry authority. Tessa froze. Her hand stopped inches from the handle. Her entire body became rigid. Slowly, painfully, she turned. When she saw him, the color left her face. Of course she recognized him. Everybody knew the boss. But seeing him here, inside the cold, utilitarian concrete of the staff exit, was a terrifying displacement of reality. “Mr. Rossi,” she whispered. Her voice cracked. “My shift is over. It’s 7:00.” “The shift includes dinner.” Zo stepped closer. His shoes made no sound against the concrete. “Carmine made veal tonight. Expensive cut. You don’t like veal?” Tessa backed up until her shoulders touched the steel door. Her hands went instinctively to the strap of the tote, pulling it tightly against her chest. “I’m not hungry, sir. I prefer to eat at home.”
